This guide was written by my friend, Helena Weisner, She
has the expertise of growing Cyclamen for many, many years in the
U.K. It is reprinted with her blessing.

Cyclamen hederifolium is the hardiest of the cyclamen genus and will
grow well in even the toughest of conditions. It is usually in flower
from August to November and has attractive variable leaves which provide
added interest until May. The flowers appear before the leaves and
vary in colour from mauve to pale pink. There is also a white form.
In the wild, C. hederifolium occurs from the south of France to Turkey
and on many of the Mediterranean islands. The tubers are very long-lived
and naturalise well, producing many flowers on older tubers.

Cyclamen coum is also extremely hardy and will survive the severest
weather. This species flowers in January to March and provides colour
in the garden when little else is in flower. In the wild, it is widely
distributed from Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia, Iran through to Israel.
It is a species with wide variation. The leaves are kidney shaped,
dark green either plain or with silver markings. The flowers are
pink, white or magenta coloured.

Cultivation
Height 4 in, planting distance 4-6 in. The tubers we supply have been
dug up just before dispatch with the soil removed. They should be
planted as soon as possible after arrival. They like light dappled
shade, shelter from strong winds and well-drained soil. For
growing outside, the shelter of trees and shrubs is ideal. Adding
course grit, leaf-mould and peat to the soil will provide suitable growing
conditions. They will tolerate reasonably acid or alkaline soil.
When planting, barely cover the tuber with soil but add 1 in of leaf mould
annually after the flowers have finished and the leaves have died.

Propagation
Cyclamen are self-pollinating and set seed easily. The flower
stalks curl into a spiral drawing the seed capsule down onto the top of
the tuber. When the ripe seed capsule starts to split, the seed can
be harvested and sown, or can be left on the plant for distribution by
insects and birds. Seed can be sown in John Innes seed compost or
in a mixture of one part leaf mould or peat, one part soil plus a little
bone meal and one part coarse grit. The seed compost should be kept
cool and moist until the seedlings emerge, and they should be encouraged
to grow on as long as possible by keeping them moist, cool and well-shaded
in late spring and summer. Prick off the seedlings into 3 in pots
of compost (it can be the same as the seed compost mix described above
or John Innes No 1) and overwinter in a cold frame. Plant out in
their flowering positions in May or late summer.